Japanese Satsuma Vases

Japanese Kinkosan Satsuma Vases

C3662. Fine pair of Japanese signed Kinkosan Satsuma painted pottery moon vases, round cushion-forms, symmetrically decorated with opposing large round scenic reserves raised upon a light blue-grey ground that is strewn with grasses and geese in flight between small colorful maple leaves sprinkled on a short lipped neck and a tall flared oblong foot. As a finishing touch, the reserves, the neck and the foot are lined in metallic-gold.

One reserve on each vase is a garden scene depicting the branches of a large blossoming pink fuyō (hibiscus) plant issuing into the foreground, mixed with smaller purple flowering plants, nogiku (aster) and nadeshiko (dianthus), accompanied by two sparrows in flight. The scene is idealized by metallic-gold stippled clouds in the background, punctuating the foliage and the birds. The fuyō plant has large blossoms with pink stripped petals and yellow-green centers, born on charcoal-grey stems with small oval leaves of the same hue; producing two foliate clusters climbing into the upper reserve, each having one or two flowers nestled amongst leaves. The nogiku and nadeshiko plants have bright teal-green leaves and stems; the foliage entwined with the lower cluster of the fuyō plant, except for one nadeshiko branch, providing balance for the taller projection of the fuyō. Three of the sparrows are light-brown with darker brown tails and white-striped wings, and a light reddish-brown cap. The fourth sparrow is light-blue with darker-blue tails and white-striped wings.

The other reserve on each vase is a water scene, showing a large charcoal-colored crayfish accompanied by two patches of light-green and charcoal-grey colored aquatic grasses against a murky pale-grey washed ground suggesting water. The crayfish has a large pointed head with two eyes and whiskers, pincers and a long segmented body.

The light-blue ground around the reserves is translucent, revealing the exceptional finely crackled glaze of the vases. The grasses strewn over the cushion-form body have awns; imparted in dark reddish-brown and black. Three geese are in flight amongst the grasses, two paired on one shoulder of the vase and one on the opposing shoulder; rendered in orange-brown, outlined and detailed in metallic-gold. The maple leaves scattered on the neck and foot of each vase are imparted purple, black, teal-green and red.

Attributed to the Kinkozan family from Kyoto in the Awata district of Japan, dating from the late 19th century. The garden reserve on each vase has a signature hand-painted in three metallic-gold Japanese characters. This signature is translated "Kinkozan" representing the Kinkozan family of Japan which has made finely glazed fine crackle glazed Satsuma pottery in Kyoto since the early eighteenth century. Good condition. Molded in light cream-colored clay with an exceptional finely crackled clear glaze. Each vase measures 5 ⅛" tall, 5 ¾" wide, and 2" deep. $495.00 each. Pair only.
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